


Love Don't Live Here Anymore

by KouhaiStalker



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bottom Tony Stark, Depression, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Top Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-03-29 16:12:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3902581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KouhaiStalker/pseuds/KouhaiStalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark doesn't believe in love anymore. Steve Rogers tries to prove to him that there's more to it than heartbreak.<br/>[A bit OOC, depressed!tony]<br/>This is sort of AU. I don't know yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this. This is my first fanfic on here, though you may have seen my work from fanfiction.net under the same reason. Some characters are OOC. It says slow build but it's just sorta slow? idk

Tony Stark - Billionaire, playboy, avenger.  
Honestly, none of those things were true anymore except the billionaire part. He hadn't been up to love since that day. He had quit the Avengers. He was torn apart. He dropped back into alcoholism, depression, and was overall a miserable mess.  
He had cut off all contact with Pepper and practically anyone except JARVIS, who constantly tried to get him to call for help. But no. All he did was remain in his workshop all day and chug beer cans and scotch, covered in his own filth. Who knew the last time he had showered? Tony hadn't seen the daylight in...he lost count.  
"JARV, how long has it been..?" He croaked out.  
"Four months, sir."  
"Heh."  
Four months. Time really flew by.. Cap repeatedly tried to visit, tried to break into Stark Tower, once, even. But Tony always told JARVIS never to let him in. And so far, JARVIS's programming hadn't been overridden.  
If AI's could have concern, JARVIS definitely did.  
"Sir, your energy and health levels are deteriorating. Please -"  
"JARVIS, I'm fine, okay?" He snapped. But he wasn't. Oh, how far he was from fine. He was broken, oh so shattered. And no one knew why. No one could help him. All he was doing was drowning himself in alcohol and his work; his workshop was filled with beer cans, hot pocket wrappers, and junky machines he had made to pass the time. The only time he left the workshop was too sleep, which he often had to do on the couch because he couldn't make it to the bedroom. And whenever he ran out of food, he ordered it. He slid the money under the door. No one had to see what a shell of a man he had become. 

Tony Stark, once an amazing person,

was gone.

**"Sir, Captain Steve Rogers is at the door."**

**"Don't let him in."**

 

[sorry that was short, the first chapter shall be very long!}


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EYY. NEW CHAPTER ALREADY. excuse if its short im sorry sobs ITS 10 HERE AND IM TIRED MAN. and i didn't want to rush the plot y'know?

Tony awoke to the feeling of DUM-E's claw poking at him repeatedly. The billionaire groaned, shoving the robot away who seemingly whined out.  
"Sir, are you awake?"  
"Yeah, yeah, JARV. Why?"  
"Captain Rogers is at the door again."  
"Don't let him in."  
"Sir, I'm programmed to obey you, but I'm telling you, it may be helpful."  
"No! I don't want to see anyone and I don't want to see him!" He snapped angrily, panting. "Just..order me some breakfast burritos from that nice delivery place, maybe some coffee."  
"What about a salad, sir?"  
"Breakfast burritos are fine, JARV."  
"..Alright, sir."  
Tony could almost here a sigh in his voice, but ignored it. Why did he get this feeling of guilt whenever the Captain was at the door and he denied him? He didn't need help. He was perfectly fine and-  
The fact that he couldn't finish even that train of thought went to show that he wasn't fine.  
He definitely wasn't.  
\--------------------------------------  
"Sir, your breakfast and coffee is here." JARVIS announced to Tony, who had fallen asleep again, drool dripping from his mouth in a very unattractive manner.  
"Alright.." The male groaned, climbing up from his chair and opening the door to his workshop. He walked into the elevator, setting the floor for the communal areas. Or what used to be the communal areas, back when the Avengers still lived there. Before Tony had become a shell of a man and had kicked the out.  
He pulled open the door, and what he saw was not only his burritos and coffee, but Steve Rogers in all of his star spangled glory.  
Tony immediately slammed the door shut, crumpling to the ground.  
"Mr. Stark. Please let me in."  
"No."  
"Stark, please. You're better than this. Come on, I can help."  
Tony angrily opened the door,  
"Am I better than this, Cap?! Am I?! I don't need your help!" He snarled, grabbing his breakfast and slamming the door right in Steve's face. He locked it, storming into the elevator.  
"JARVIS, workshop. Now." He growled.  
That sigh again.  
"Alright, sir."  
Tony sipped his coffee, not bothering adding cream or waiting for it to cool down. He unwrapped his breakfast burrito, the oh-so-familiar taste of processed eggs, american cheese, what they claimed was sausage, and various vegetables and jalapeños. As he did this, he began working on useless trinkets once more. This time, a watch. What the hell?! Tony Stark making a simple watch.  
Hours passed and there were 10 watches sitting in front of Tony.  
JARVIS's voice rang through the room.  
"Sir, Captain Rogers is here-"  
Tony slammed his fist on the desk. "AGAIN?!"  
"Y..Yes, sir. And he brought lunch. Says he'll leave you alone if you just accept it and let him in."  
The genius threw his head back with a groan, swiveling around in his chair. Whatever. It was worth a shot, right? He'd been ignoring the 'poor' guy for the past four months.  
"Let him down." He mumbled.  
If JARVIS could smile, he would have been.  
"Alright, sir."  
A few minutes later the door creaked open and Steve took in Tony, eyes widening. Yeah, what a sight. Tony's hair was slightly shaggy and unkempt, his shirt seemed to have only been changed once a week as well as his clothes, and he was filthy and smelled putrid. There were dark circles under his eyes and his posture was slumped.  
"Tony.." The Captain managed out. It was one of the few times he used Tony's real name without being furious at him.  
"Yeah. It's nice, isn't it? Funny to see how your enemy just ended up like this?!" He snapped.  
"Tony, we weren't enemies." Steve approached the billionaire, who simply jerked away.  
"Just give me my lunch and get out." He snapped, his voice cracking as if he was on the verge of tears. He didn't need this right now.  
Steve set down the lunch, then glanced at all the beer cans lying around. He narrowed his eyes - the same expression on his face as a mother scolding her child.  
"Tony! You'd gotten so much better about your alcohol!"  
"I don't care. It helps me more than anyone else ever could."  
'Does it though, Tony?"  
"Yes."  
Steve placed a hand on the man's shoulder.  
"We both know that's not true."  
Tony jerked away from the touch, shoving Steve away. (Well, Steve let him, being he could easily overpower Tony.)  
"Get out. Go research the 20th century or something. Because if you had, you'd know when to take a goddamn hint!" The hurt on Steve's face gave Tony the feeling he'd touched a sore spot. "Sorry..I didn't mean in that way." "Anthony Edward Stark, take a goddamn shower and get out in the world! I don't know what happened to you but-" "No. You don't know what happened to me! If you did, you wouldn't be pestering me! You'd be running away because I'm a monster!" That's it. He was breaking down into tears. "Tony. Stop. No, you aren't a monster.." Steve began, but was interrupted once more. "Just..just leave me alone, okay, Cap?!" Tony sniffed, wiping his eyes on his sleeve pitifully. "Alright, Mr. Stark. If you want to rot in your own filth, so be it." That came out colder than Steve had intended, Tony could guess. There was a flash of red, white, and blue in Tony's tear filled eyes and blurred vision as the Captain exited. And Tony was alone again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'll see you in the future, when we're older,  
> And we are both stories to be told,  
> Cross my heart,  
> And hope to die..  
> I'll see you with your laughter lines.."  
> -Bastille's "Love Don't Live Here Anymore"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this story is inspired by a Bastille song, hence the title. Actually more like songs. cx  
> Thanks for all the kudos and bookmarks. It really means a lot! I ask that you don't comment anything too mean - I am extremely sensitive so if you don't like the story, just don't read it, okay?  
> I'd love to hear your opinions other than that, though. Once again, it is short, and it's a bit of a repeat of the first chapter, but you'll understand why I did it in later chapters.  
> And remember,  
> Watches. (:

A week had passed, maybe weeks..  
Tony didn't know. He didn't want to know.  
He just...he just didn't want to know.  
Steve hadn't visited him since that day, since their mini 'fight.'  
It hurt Tony. Somehow, the captain visiting him everyday had been a comfort. Had shown that someone, at least /one person/ out there still cared.  
"Sir, you have passed the amount of alcohol that is healthy everyday this week. Especially today."  
The genius groaned, his hangover horrible, yet he still drank. He drank and he drank and he drank. Wine bottles and crappy beer cans were scattered everyday.  
45 watches were in front of him now.  
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," he hiccuped a bit, "has..Cap been here lately?"  
"Captain Rogers has not been here, sir. Shall I call him..?"  
Tony' s eyes widened, "No! No way!" He yelped.  
"Alright, sir."  
He went back to tinkering watches, and other useless machines such as shitty microwaves, hell, even bionic toilet paper.  
\---------------------  
Tick, Tock.  
Tick, Tock.  
Tick, Tock.  
Tick  
Tock  
Tick  
Tock  
Tick...  
Tock...  
"Tony."  
Tick..  
Tock..  
"Tony!"  
Tick...  
Tick..  
"Tony, wake up!"  
Tock..  
Tock..  
There was a voice. Where was that voice coming from?  
"Tony, please wake up. Please." The voice sounded sad. Why was it sad that Tony was sleeping? Why would it care if Tony got hurt?  
The billionaire's eyes slowly opened to see Steve above him, and he jolted.  
"WHY IS HE HERE?!"  
"You had passed out, and my protocols allow me to let people in here during an emergency, even if it is lockdown. We were afraid you would not wake up, sir."  
Steve placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Please stop this, Stark. This amount of alcohol..it's dangerous. You're hurting yourself."  
"So what?! Huh?! Why do you even care if I get hurt?"  
The super soldier hesitated. "I-well-"  
"You just want to be the hero. You just want to save old, poor, stupid Tony Stark from his misery! Well I don't need your help!"  
Whack!  
His cheek stung.  
Steve...goody-two-shoes Captain America. He had /slapped/ him. Tony grabbed his burning cheek.  
"What the hell was that for?"  
"To get you back to your senses, Tony! You are not..you are better then this, okay? You don't need alcohol to make you feel better. I can help you. Please..just let me.."  
He wanted to help? Help was something Tony had avoided for..what was it...four months? Maybe even five months now? No. He didn't need help. He was fine, perfectly fine. And he certainly didn't need /Captain America's/ help. Tch.  
"No. I'm fine, okay?!" Why was he tearing up? Fuck.  
"Stark..no../Tony./ Come on. You're Iron Man, not some alcoholic who sits here making watches all day!" He picked one up.  
Did Tony mention?  
There were 50 watches now.  
Steve was about to crush it when Tony snatched it away.  
"..Distraction." He mumbled.  
"You..you make /watches/ when you're in pain?"  
"Yeah, you gonna get onto me about that too, /Mom/?!" No sleep + Tony Stark's temper = not fun.  
Steve sighed, setting down a lunch he had brought for the male.  
"Bye, Tony." He whispered, and Tony's eyes fluttered closed once more.  
\-----------------------------  
When he woke up a few hours later, Steve was gone. Tony groaned.  
"Sir, your lunch is getting cold."  
"I don't care.." He moaned, but he did. He was /starving/. He opened up the bag, to find a note as well as homemade pasta salad.  
The note read,  
'Tony, we never got along well. But please feel better. You are an amazing man, and I want to help you. I care. We all care.' signed with 'Steve' in neat, cursive handwriting.  
The pasta remained untouched, but Tony fell asleep with the note tucked under his arm.


	5. INTERMISSION(?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick message. Deleting later.

I am /so/ sorry I haven't updated this. I just haven't been motivated at all. I'll try to get to it soon, in the mean time, feel free to leave suggestions for the next chapter in the comments, or something encouraging, cause it'd really help me get to the next chapter. And yes, I promise, tHERE WILL BE SMUT EVENTUALLY. OKAY. 

 

Signed,  
Em(m)u


End file.
